Red Sox get back left-handed pitching prospect from White Sox taken in Rule 5 draft
Shane Drohan is back with the Red Sox just six months after he was selected by the White Sox out of the Rule 5 draft.
Drohan will come back to Boston and not be subjected to being placed on the 40-man roster. It’s not known yet which affiliate the Red Sox will assign the left-hander to just yet. He is likely to be optioned to Triple-A Worcester.
While rehabbing with the White Sox, Drohan was used as a reliever. He made 10 appearances out of the bullpen, posting an 8.68 ERA, giving up 10 runs (nine earned) off nine hits while striking out 15 batters and walking eight over 9 1/3 frames.
The 25-year-old cleared waivers after the White Sox activated him off the 60-day injured list on Sunday, then designated him for assignment. Drohan would have needed to remain on the White Sox’ 26-man active roster for the remainder of the season to keep him in the organization.
The southpaw has been recovering from shoulder surgery he underwent on Feb. 21.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Red Sox pitching program can do with the lefty. If he is assigned to the WooSox, the Red Sox could have Drohan pitch out of the bullpen and serve as a bulk-inning hurler. This would allow Boston to keep Drohan stretched out in case they need him to spot start.
The 6-foot-3 southpaw offers a four-pitch mix, featuring a fastball that sits between 92 and 94 mph and tops out at 96 mph. He also operates with a cutter, which he added this offseason, an 83-mph changeup, and a 75-89-mph curveball.
The Red Sox drafted Drohan in the fifth round out of Florida State in 2020, and he flashed his potential last season. Drohan dominated over six starts with the Portland Sea Dogs, positing a 1.32 ERA. He was promoted to Triple-A Worcester, where he struggled, recording a 6.47 ERA in 21 outings (19 starts).
